Valve handle positioner



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u. H. KOCH 3,337,184

VALVE HANDLE POSITIONER Filed March 8, 1965 INVENTOR. ULRECH H. KOCH Y ?& 6; Fa

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,337,184 VALVE HANDLE POSITIONER Ulrich H. Koch, Pinole, Calif., assignor to Whitey Research Tool Company, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 437,666 7 Claims. (Cl. 251-263) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A positioner operatively associated with a toggle valve handle which is generally U-shaped and has two opposed legs. One leg has an aperture facilitating attachment to the valve housing and the other leg consists of a latching tab received in a slot located between the side edges of the handle thereby limiting rotation of the handle.

This invention relates to lift valves in general, and more particularly, to a valve handle positioning device to be used therewith.

Toggle valves have found wide acceptance over the more customary rotary type of valves where quick actuation is desired. The toggle valve being a bistable device is capable of assuming a stable opened or stable closed position by the mere vertical arcuate movement of its associated handle. The toggle valve is capable of being panel mounted, with the handle exposed, for manual operation of the valve. It has been found that with the usual toggle valve, the handle is capable of free 360 planar rotation relative to the panel to which it is mounted, due to panel vibrations, or accidental and undesirable bumping of the valve handle. It is, of course, obvious that the valve is easier to rotate with the handle in its closed position since the handle thereby provides a longer lever arm and is more susceptible of being accidentally bumped or rotated.

It can be appreciated that when an array of toggle valves are panel mounted, that the free planar rotation of the handles results in an unsightly and unpleasingoutward appearance. Furthermore, if the valve is freely rotatable, then closer operator scrutiny is required to determine whether a particular valve is in its open or closed state. On the other hand, if the valve handle was only able to assume a closed or open vertical position relative to the panel board, it can be appreciated that a quicker and more accurate checking operation would be possible. It is, accordingly, a primary object of this invention to overcome the hereinabove mentioned prior art deficiencies in toggle valves.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a toggle valve handle positioning device which does not interfere with the free operation of the handle from its closed to its fully opened position, and vice versa.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a toggle valve handle positioning device which can be used with panel mounted toggle valves or with non-panel mounted toggle valves.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a toggle valve handle positioning device which prevents rotation of the handle, but does not interfere with the operation of the handle in its opened or closed positions.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and novel toggle valve handle positioning device which can be placed in operating condition relative to a panel mounted valve with a bare minimum of operations.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new and novel toggle valve handle positioning device which is capable of being operatively positioned upon a panel mounted toggle valve without interfering with the valves operations, or requiring system shut down.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a toggle valve handle positioning device which is of simple design and economical to manufacture.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a toggle valve handle positioning device which is capable of substantial use without fatigue or breakage.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a toggle valve handle positioning device which is suitable for use with existing commercially available toggle valves without in any way hampering or interfering with the operation of the toggle valve.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a toggle valve handle positioning device which is capable of being mounted upon commercially available toggle valves, and which requires the mere loosening of an appropriate toggle mounting nut for positioning thereupon.

In accordance with the above and first briefly described, the invention comprises a toggle valve having a reciprocally mounted plunger. A valve operating handle including a base having a pair of opposite depending runners is also provided. The plunger is operatively positioned Within the pair of opposed depending runners for connection thereto. The runners flat lowermost surfaces are contiguous with an exposed surface of the valve bonnet which surrounds the protruding valve plunger; the exposed surface of the valve bonnet, accordingly, providing a bearing surface for the runners, such that movement of the handle between its opened or closed position result in a camming action between the lowermost surfaces of the runners and the bearing surfaces to impart reciprocal movement to the plunger. There is further provided, a handle rotation preventing device comprising an elongated resilient member turned back upon itself to form a U-shaped body having a pair of opposed spaced apart legs; one leg having an aperture therein for mounting to the bonnet of the valve, below the handle-valve stem connection; the other leg providing means for engagement with said handle to prevent rotation thereof.

To the accomplishments of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and more fully brought out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail one embodiment for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be used.

The preferred embodiment being described by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts in the various figures, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a panel mounted toggle valve indicating the working relationship of the new and novel toggle valve handle positioner with the handle in its fully opened position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention indicating the working relationship of the new and novel toggle valve handle positioner with the handle in a fully closed position;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the device and indicates the manner of mounting the valve to a panel board such that the handle and handle positioner are exposed; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of FIG. 2 with a partial section of the handle and panel so that the working relationship between the toggle valve handle positioner, relative to the stem chamber, may be appropriately brought out.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the positioning device.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a panel mounted toggle valve assembly indicated generally by the numeral 12 is shown. The valve assembly 12 includes a body 14 having an outlet port '17 and an inlet port 16. Formed intermediate inlet and outlet ports 16 and 17, respectively, in fluid communication therewith, is a sealing seat, not shown. A central bore extends upwardly from the sealing seat. The upper portion of the body 14, surrounding the central bore, is threaded at the upper extremity of its outer periphery.

Bonnet 18, forming a cap assembly, is provided with internal threads along the lower extremities thereof to permit threaded engagement with the upper extremity of valve body 14. Bonnet 18 is also provided with a central bore coaxial with the central bore of valve housing 14 to, accordingly, extend the same. A reciprocable plunger or stem 22 is slidably mounted concentric with the hereinabove defined central bore. Stem 22 is provided with suitable sealing means for sealing the hereinabove mentioned seat, to thereby prevent fluid communication between inlet port 16 and outlet port 17. Accordingly, upon reciprocal movement being imparted to plunger 22 the suitable sealing means will be moved into and out of sealing engagement with the sealing seat.

Stem 22 carries, intermediate its ends, a radially extending flange, not shown. A compression spring, not shown, is also provided to bias the plunger in a normally closed position, as depicted by FIGS. 2 and 4. One end of the compression spring bears against the radially extending flange, while the other end thereof bears against the inner, uppermost portion of bonnet 18. In the closed valve position depicted by FIGS. 2 and 4, the spring biases the stem, 22, carried sealing means into a sealing position relative to the sealing seat and thereby prevents fluid communication between the inlet and outlet ports 16 and 17, respectively. In addition, suitable fluid-tight means are mounted to stem 22 intermediate the hereinabove described radially extending flange and the stem carried sealing means, to provide a suitable seal so that no fluids may come in contact with the spring or bonnet assembly. Lastly, a nylon gland 23, having an exposed planar surface 24 surrounding the stem 22 at the point of extension from the central bore, may also be provided to concentrically position stem 22 relative to the central bore in bonnet 18 and valve housing 14.

An operating handle indicated by numeral 28, is generally aligned with the stem 22 in the open valve position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, but handle 28 assumes a generally perpendicular relationship to stem 22 in the closed position of the valve as shown by FIGS. 2 and 4. Handle 28 includes a lever portion 43. Also, the terminal end of the lever portion 43 most closely adjacent the stem 22 is provided with a slotted, semi-cylindrical valve stem receiving member, indicated generally by the numeral 45. The slotted, semi-cylindrical valve stem member 45 is, as shown in the drawing, scoop-like in design, and is C- or U-shaped in cross section. While element 45 is shown as having a slotted, semi-cyindrical design, it should, of course, be appreciated that any equivalent element, which is capable of performing the necessary functions of element 45, may be substituted therefor. For example, in place of the scoop-shaped element 45 a pair of opposed runners depending from opposite sides of handle 28 can be utilized. The sides of stem receiving element 45 will hereinafter be referred to as runners 48 and 49 to clearly indicate the possible substitution. Runners 48 and 49 are spaced apart a distance sufiicient to allow reception there between of the protruding end portion of stem 22. As shown in the drawing, the protruding end of stem 22 extends into the slot provided in element 45 and is connected thereto, for actuation by movement of the handle, by pivot pin 26. As further brought out by the drawing, each of the runners extends substantially perpendicular to the exposed flat face 24 of gland 23. Exposed face 24 lies in a plane which is generally perpendicular to the axis of stem 22 and therefore provides a bearing surface for runners 48 and 49.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, element 45, or, more particularly, the runners 48 and 49 terminate in a generally flat bottom edge 50. The generally flat surface or edge 50 is adapted to lie flush against the outer surface 24 of gland 23, when the valve is open as best seen, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 3. The flat bottom edge 50 is joined with the side edge of runner 49 by means of a curved cam surface 55, see FIG. 4. Due to the sectional view of the handle, as shown in FIG. 4, it is impossible to indicate a similar curved cam surface being used to join edge 50 with the side edge of runner 48, however, it should be appreciated that a similar cam like surface is indeed provided. Furthermore, if instead of element 45 assuming a scoop-like design, as shown, a pair of opposed depending, generally rectangular runners had been employed, then the joint between the bottom surface, and the edges of the runners may each have been provided with curved cam surfaces to permit closure of the valve by vertical arcuate movement of the handle in either direction.

As explained hereinabove, the protruding terminal end of the stem 22 extends into the space defined by runners 48 and 49, and is attached to the aforementioned runners by way of pivot pin 26. Manual forces exerted upon the handle 28 will, quite obviously, cause movement of the runners 48 and 49 about the pivot pin 26 as an axis of rotation. Assuming that an arcuate downward force is applied to handle 28, as positioned in FIG. 1, the curved cam surfaces 55 will move relative to the exposed outer gland face 24, thereby permitting the biasing spring to impart a reciprocal motion to the stem in a direction toward the sealing seat. The biasing spring will, accordingly, seat the stem mounted sealing means upon the sealing seat to prevent fluid communication between the inlet and outlet ports 16 and 17, respectively. The biasing force of the compression spring is overcome by an arcuate upwardly directed manual force being applied to the handle, as positioned in FIGS. 2 and 4, such that it will assume an open position as depicted by FIGS. 1 and 3. Upon an upwardly directed arcuate force being applied to the handle a camming action will result between cam surfaces 55 and bearing surface 24 to actually reciprocal the stem 22 away from the sealing seat and thereby provide fluid communication between the inlet and outlet ports.

Turning once again to the drawing, I will now describe my new and novel handle positioning device, shown generally by numeral 38. Handle positioning device 38 is in its preferred embodiment contemplated to be made of a suitably flexible material, such as sheet metal, however, any suitable functionally equivalent material may be substituted therefor.

The positioning device may be made in a conventional stamping, or any other equivalent process may be employed. The stamping is then shaped into the desired form 38 as shown in the drawings. As shown thereat, a main body portion 39 having a generally U-shaped configuration is provided by turning one end of the resilient member back upon itself. The arcuate body portion 39 of retainer 38 is provided with a leg 42 having an aperture therein. The aperture having a diameter generally corresponding with the outside diameter of the bonnet 18 for mounting thereupon. At this point it should, of course, be appreciated that the aperture does not have to be of any particular shape or configuration, so long as it may be received about bonnet 18. Furthermore, as an alternate mode to the embodiment disclosed, annular ring or leg 42 may be relieved to in effect provide a pair of planar, spaced apart, mutually converging fingers 57 (see FIG. 5 defining an enclosed area generally corresponding to that of the bonnet 18 upon which it is to be mounted.

The second leg 40 is formed integral with arcuate body 39 and may be inclined slightly theretowards. Furthermore, leg 40 may be necked down to provide increased flexibility and spring. Lastly, as brought out by the drawings, leg 40 terminates in an upturned latching tab 41, formed integral therewith. Latching tab 41 being substantially perpendicular to the plane in which leg 40 lies.

It should be appreciated, that the transverse dimension of leg 40 and latching tab 41 is generally equal to the slot defined by the spacing between runners 48 and 49. Accordingly, as brought out in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 the edges of latching tab 41, as well as the edges of a portion of leg 40 are in contact with slot 30 of handle 28. Therefore, upon mounting the positioner in place about bonnet 18 and flexing leg 40 to permit entry of latching tab 41 into slot 30, planar rotation of handle 28 will be totally eliminated.

FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which my new and novel handle positioner would be mounted upon bonnet 18, and more particularly, about the external threaded portion 19 thereof. As shown thereat, valve handle 28 would be placed in a valve open position, aligned with valve stem 22. The valve assembly 12 would then be positioned posteriorly of the panel, hidden from view, and the handle 28 passed through a suitable aperture 60 in panel 35. Aperture 60 is of dimension to permit passage of the threaded portion 19 of bonnet 18 therethrough. Accordingly, the enlarged faced portion of bonnet 18 will abut against the under side of panel 35 to limit the extent of movement therethrough.

Apertured leg 42 of positioner 38 will then be mounted about threaded portion 19 of bonnet 18. Lastly, panel nut 34 will be threadedly engaged to threads 19. Prior to the final tightening of nut 34, handle 28 will be rotated to the desired angular position relative to panel 35, and arcuately moved into its closed position. Positioner 38 will then be flexed to permit insertion of latching tab 41 into slot 30 defined by runners 48 and 49. Panel nut 34 is then tightened down to prevent movement of handle positioner 38' relative to the panel. Accordingly, handle 28 will be restrained against rotation, as hereinabove described.

In the event that the toggle valve to which the positioner is to be mounted is already placed upon the panel, the handle positioner still permits a mounting thereto with the minimum of steps and efforts. In reality, all that would be required is to remove panel nut 34, to permit the concurrent mounting of positioner 38 and panel nut 34 upon threaded portion 19. The steps outlined immediately hereinabove would then be followed to position latching tab 41 into contiguous relationship with the inner surfaces of runners 48 and 49 and thereby prevent rotation of handle 28 relative to panel 35. Obviously, if the alternate design, which, as explained hereinabove, would include a pair of planar, mutually converging, spaced apart fingers, being substituted for apertured leg 42 in positioner 38, were to be employed, then a total removal of panel nut 34 would not be necessary. Instead, the nut 34 would only have to be loosened to permit the mounting of the inturned fingers therebehind. The positioner would then be mounted to the threaded portion 19 of bonnet 18 with the mutually converging fingers straddling the threaded portion 19. The above detailed steps would then be followed, ending with the final tightening of panel nut 34.

Furthermore, my positioning device 38 is also capable of use with non-panel mounted toggle valves to prevent rotation of the associated handle. The only requirement being, that a washer of sufficient width be employed to simulate the width of the panel and accordingly place positioner 38 at the proper elevation for insertion of latching tab 41 into the slot defined by the runners, such that its edges are contiguous with the inner surfaces of runners 48 and 49.

While it will be apparent that the'embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects of the invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toggle valve handle rotation limiting device comprising, a valve including housing, a stern reciprocally mounted in said housing, said stern controlling fluid communication between an inlet and outlet port in accordance with the position thereof, the housing providing a bearing portion disposed transverse the axis of the stem through which the outer end of the stem projects, a handle having a pair of spaced apart, generally parallel runners substantially perpendicular to said bearing surface, said runners terminating in a generally flat under surface, and having cam surfaces gradually merging said flat under surface with side edges thereof, the outer end of said stem being disposed between said runners and pivotly attached thereto, so that movement of said handle will move said cam surfaces relative to said bearing surface and thereby reciprocate said stem, and a handle rotation restricting device having a flexible main body portion formed by turning a flexible elongated member back upon itself to form a pair of opposed leg elements, one of said leg elements having an aperture therein, said aperture having a dimension generally corresponding to said valve housing for fixed mounting thereto subadjacent said bearing surface, the other leg terminating in a latching tab, said latching tab lying in a plane generally transverse to that of said other leg, said other leg being of transverse dimension generally corresponding to that of the space between said runners, said latching tab being inserted into the space defined by said runner to result in a contiguous relationship therewith, such that rotation of said handle relative to said valve is prohibited.

2. A toggle valve handle rotation limiting device comprising, a valve including a housing having a stem reciprocally mounted in said housing, said housing providing a bearing portion disposed transverse the axis of the stem and through which the outer end of the stem projects, a handle terminating in a slotted sectionalized cylindrical body, said slotted, sectionalized, cylindrical body terminating in a generally flat surface and having cam surfaces gradually merging said flat terminating surface with side edges thereof, the outer end of said stem being positioned within said slotted, sectionalized cylindrical body and pivotly attached thereto, so that movement of said handle will result in relative movement between cam surfaces and said bearing surface and thereby reciprocate said stem, a U-shaped flexible main body element formed by turning a flexible elongated member back upon itself, said U-shaped body having a pair of opposed legs integrally formed thereto, one of said leg elements being provided with attaching means for fixed mounting subadjacent to said bearing surface, the other leg having a transverse dimension generally corresponding to that of said slot in said sectionalized cylindrical body, and a latching tab integrally formed to the extremity of said other leg, said latching tab lying in a plane generally perpendicular to that of said leg to which it is integrally formed and having a transverse dimension generally corresponding to that of said slot so as to be contiguously accommodated therewithin, such that planar rotation of said handle relative to said valve is prohibited.

3. The combination as defined by claim 2 wherein said attaching means comprised an aperture formed in said one leg, said aperture being in general correspondence with the outer dimension of said housing for fixed mounting thereto, subadjacent to said bearing surface.

4. The combination as defined by claim 2 wherein said attaching means comprised a pair of planar, spaced apart, mutually converging fingers, said mutually converging fingers being capable of fixed mounting to said housing, subadjacent to said bearing surface.

5. A toggle valve handle rotation limiting device comprising, a valve including housing having a reduced annular threaded portion, a stem reciprocally mounted in said housing, and projecting through said threaded annular portion, said housing being provided further with a bearing portion disposed transverse the axis of the stern through which the outer end of the stem projects, a handle having a pair of spaced apart, generally parallel runners integrally formed and depending therefrom, said runners terminating in a generally flat surface and having cam surfaces gradually merging said fiat terminating surface with side edges thereof, the projecting end of said stem being disposed between said runners and pivotly attached thereto, so that movement of said handle will result in relative movement between cam surfaces and said bearing surface and thereby reciprocate said stem, a panel having an aperture generally corresponding to the dimension of said reduced annular threaded portion of said housing thus permitting projection of said handle and said reduced annular threaded portion therethrough with said valve housing remaining posteriorly thereof, a panel mounting nut threadedly engagable with the exposed annular threaded portion of said valve housing fixing said valve to said panel, a U-shaped flexible main body element, formed by turning a flexible elongated member back upon itself and having opposed first and second legs integrally formed thereto, said first leg being provided with attaching means for fixed mounting about said annular threaded portion subadjacent to said bearing surface, by said panel mounting nut, said second leg having a transverse dimension generally corresponding in dimension to that of the spacial dimension between said runners, a latching tab integrally formed to the extremity of said second leg, said latching tab lying in a plane generally perpendicular to that of said second leg and having a transverse dimension generally correspond- 8 ing to that of said slot so as to be contiguously accommodated therewithin, such that planar rotation of said handle relative to said valve is prohibited.

6. The combination as defined by claim 5 wherein said attaching means comprising an aperture formed in said one leg, said aperture being in general correspondence with the outer dimension of said housing for fixed mounting thereto, subadjacent to said bearing surface.

7. The combination as defined by claim 5 wherein said attaching means comprised a pair of planar, spaced apart, mutually converging fingers, said mutually converging fingers being capable of fixed mounting to said housing, subadjacent to said bearing surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,544,727 7/1925 Delmar 251263 X 3,207,472 9/1965 Seltsam 251-263 X FOREIGN PATENTS 441,279 1/ 1936 Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner. ARNOLD ROSENTHAL, Examiner.

W. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOGGLE VALVE HANDLE ROTATION LIMITING DEVICE COMPRISING, A VALVE INCLUDING HOUSING, A STEM RECIPROCALLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, SAID STEM CONTROLLING FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AN INLET AND OUTLET PORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POSITION THEREOF, THE HOUSING PROVIDING A BEARING PORTION DISPOSED TRANSVERSE THE AXIS OF THE STEM THROUGH WHICH THE OUTER END OF THE STEM PROJECTS, A HANDLE HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED APART, GENERALLY PARALLEL RUNNERS SUSBTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BEARING SURFACE, SAID RUNNERS TERMINATING IN A GENERALLY FLAT UNDER SURFACE, AND HAVING CAM SURFACES GRADUALLY MERGING SAID FLAT UNDER SURFACE WITH SIDE EDGES THEREOF, THE OUTER END OF SAID STEM BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID RUNNERS AND PIVOTLY ATTACHED THERETO, SO THAT MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE WILL MOVE SAID CAM SURFACES RELATIVE TO SAID BEARING SURFACE AND THEREBY RECIPROCATE SAID STEM, AND A HANDLE ROTATION RESTRICTING DEVICE HAVING A FLEXIBLE MAIN BODY POR- 